In Pursuit of Happiness
by pikaree1
Summary: Tsurugi hijacks the Time Caravan in pursuit of happiness. Will he succeed! Not if Fei has anything to say about it!
**(A/N: Complete! I don't own Inazuma Eleven, and I should probably stop being so mean to Tsurugi. Please read and review!)**

Tsurugi looked left. Tsurugi looked right.

To the left, he saw Shindou talking to Okatsu, who Fei had smuggled away from her family business. When asked about the consequences of messing with the timeline, he dismissively said not to worry about it.

To the right, he saw Kirino speaking quietly with Joan, who Fei had also smuggled away. When asked about how he got her away from the stake, he suddenly went shifty-eyed and vaguely said he had... _help_... from Protocol Omega.

Mind control is suspected to have been at work there.

And so now Tsurugi had a serious problem. There was an ache in his heart, had been ever since he found out that Kinako was not of his timeline, and seeing his senpais acting all lovey-dovey with their girlfriends (actually, they may as well have been engaged. One does not sneak a girl away from her timeline to be one's mere _girlfriend_ ) only made it worse.

And so, since he had often seen Akane clutching at the spot her heart was whenever she saw Shindou and Okatsu, he went to ask her for advice.

Wait, wait, wait, REWIND. Why was Tsurugi Kyousuke, the calm, cool, and collected death striker, asking someone for help because of heartache? Well, my friends, that has a rather simple answer.

Tsurugi was completely dense about love, perhaps even moreso than Tenma.

"Yamana-senpai," he called, approaching the manager. She didn't notice him, just continued watching Shindou and Okatsu. "Yamana-senpai?" He was right next to her now. Still she did not react. "Yamana-senpai!" He just barely managed to dodge the camera case that flew at his head.

"...Oh, Tsurugi-kun. Sorry, I didn't notice it was you," Akane said calmly, as if she had not just thrown something at him with the intent of giving him a concussion. Tsurugi made a mental note to never mess with her, and not just because Midori would beat him to a pulp if he did. "Did you need something?"

And so Tsurugi related his problem to her.

"You're in love with Kinako-chan, and you're jealous that Shin-sama and Kirino-kun have girlfriends," Akane concluded promptly.

"...I'm sorry, what?"

"You're in love with Kinako-chan, and you're jealous that Shin-sama and Kirino-kun have girlfriends," she repeated.

...Well. He hadn't expected _that_.

"So then what do I do?" he asked. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to ask someone who'd had an unrequited crush for her entire middle school (perhaps even longer) career, but she was his best shot at answers.

"Convince Fei-kun to come here with an artifact from Kinako-chan when she is your age, tie him up, and hijack the Time Caravan," she suggested.

...Well. He hadn't expected _that_ diabolical plot, either.

However, he agreed to do it. Unfortunately, he soon realized there was one major problem.

He had no way of contacting Fei.

 _Please hold as Tsurugi violently kicks a tree because the dumb rabbit boy never gave the team his number._

Now done kicking the tree, Tsurugi went to ask Tenma about it. The other boy thought for a moment before suggesting passing down a message heirloom to his descendants. Since Saru would be Fei's friend, it would all work out somehow, right? Well, apparently it did, because no sooner did they make a laminated message reading 'IMPORTANT: send Fei over with an artifact of Kinako when she's our age' did Fei show up with the artifact.

Tsurugi and Tenma (who had the idea in the first place) couldn't quite believe it had actually worked. Oh well.

Then Tsurugi yanked Fei and Wondeba out of the Time Caravan, replaced the laminated letter with Kinako's artifact, and hit the button, yelling "TIME JUMP!" at the top of his lungs.

The remaining group of three stared up dazedly.

Then Fei started yelling, Wondeba raged, and Tenma screamed "EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

* * *

Maybe this wasn't/isnt/won't be a good idea. Tsurugi had/has/will have no idea how to control the Time Caravan, or any car, for that matter. He had thought/thought/is thinking/will think sticking in the artifact and letting the time traveling bus do its thing would/will get him there. Drat, he should've brought/should bring Akane along. She probably would've/would understood how it worked.

...Then again, she would've/would probably take pictures of him and Kinako and then sell them to the school newspaper, so never mind.

"Eh? You're not supposed to be here."

Startled, Tsurugi rose/rise/will rise immediately, turning around with a glare. There was/is/will be an intruder, alright, but not the kind who would throw him out of the bus. Probably. "Aruno-hakase?!" he demanded/demands/will demand.

Indeed, Crossword Aruno was/is/will sitting in one of the front seats of the bus. After a brief, vague crash course about how to drive the Time Caravan, Tsurugi turned/turns/will turn back to the wheel and tried/tries/will try to control the bus. "Aruno-hakase, how do I control the bus?!" Silence. "...Aruno-hakase?" Of course, the scientist disappeared/disappears/will disappear at the most inconvenient moment.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" The crash course results in a crash landing, but luckily, airbags evolved in 200 years.

* * *

"SAY WHAT?!" Fei's scream rang loudly at what Akane had just told him.

"Tsurugi-kun has traveled to the future to woo Kinako-chan," she repeated.

Fei tugged his hair in frustration. "But why?! I thought we were friends! Doesn't he care that I'll disappear if he succeeds?!"

"F-Fei?" Tenma said tremulously.

"What?!"

"Y-Your hair..."

"Huh?" Fei realized something. "Hey... What happened to my ponytails...?"

Tenma gulped. "That's just the thing..."

Rather than the rabbit ear ponytails, Fei was sporting a spiky hairstyle.

* * *

"Who are you?"

"...Kinako?"

Indeed, the brown-haired girl is kneeling in front of him, a confused expression on her face.

"Ehhhhhh?!" she gasps. "You know my name?! Could it be... you're a... STALKER?!"

Well. The girl is certainly as energetic as he remembers her, but it seems she doesn't remember him. This could be a problem.

"I'm not a stalker," he says quickly. "It's Tsurugi!"

Kinako frowns, tilting her head to one side. "Hmm... Nope, I don't think we've ever met!" she declares cheerfully.

Tsurugi feels like facevaulting. Wait a minute...

"Do you remember Tenma?!"

"Who?"

"Fei?!"

"Nope."

"Wondeba?!"

"No, but it sounds cool!"

"The Time Caravan?! Facing Protocol Omega?! Zanark Domain?! Feida?! Master Dragon?!"

Kinako's eyes sparkle with excitement. "No, but your life sounds so exciting!"

Tsurugi pulls out the only card he has left to play. "The Raimon soccer club?!"

Kinako's eyes light up. "Raimon?! I'm going there starting this year! Wait... Are you a student there?!"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Okay! So it's Tsurugi-senpai, then!" she declares cheerfully.

Tsurugi's conclusion: Fei brought an artifact from BEFORE Kinako joined the time traveling expedition. Wonderful. Now what?

Suddenly, his phone rings. Confused, he picks it up. How do calls work across time, anyway...?

"TSURUGI!" comes Tenma's frantic voice. "FEI'S HAIR TURNED SPIKY! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

...Holy mother of Aphrodi-san.

"Tsurugi-kun, this means you have a chance." Akane's voice replaces Tenma's. "Do your best!"

Then the line goes dead.

...

...

...

"Who was that?" Kinako asks curiously.

Tsurugi supresses the urge to sigh. He has a _lot_ of explaining to do.

* * *

Fei ran around in frantic circles. "NO! NO! MY HAIR! IT'S STARTING TO TURN BLUE!"

Tenma sweatdropped. "Well, at least it's more like Big blue than Tsurugi blue," he said optimistically.

Fei was not amused. "TENMA!" he screamed, shaking his friend violently. "THIS MEANS TSURUGI'S WINNING OVER KINAKO- I MEAN, MOM! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS WILL MESS UP THE TIMELINE?! WE HAVE TO STOP HIM!"

"Wh-What's wrong with him finding happiness?!" Tenma stammered.

Aruno-hakase interrupted before Fei could begin ranting about everything that was wrong with Tsurugi finding happiness _with Kinako_. "I developed a new time machine."

"Amazing!" everyone cheered, looking at it.

Then they looked back at Aruno-hakase to ask how it worked.

...But he was gone. Again.

However, Fei was not deterred by the scientist's disappearance. As a SSC, he had quite the brain, so he figured out how to use it and quickly boarded the bus. "Everyone else in favor of helping me stop Tsurugi, all aboard!" he yelled.

Wondeba was a given. Akane wanted to time travel again (and see more of the future). After much deliberation, Tenma decided to go as well.

And so Team Anti-KyouKina left to find KyouKina!

* * *

Kinako gapes at Tsurugi. He can't tell whether she's in awe of what she will do in the near future or thinking he's crazy.

He has nothing to fear, though, because she releases an exuberant cry of "Amazing!" and leaps up. "Is that really going to happen?!"

"...Yeah." Of course, he conveniently left out the fact that Fei is her son and she will marry someone named Asurei. He decides to try to connect with her the only way he knows how.

"Want to play soccer?"

The simple invitation makes her face light up in a radiant grin more joyful than if she had been asked out on a date. "Sure!"

* * *

"This isn't good, this isn't good," Fei hyperventilates as he watches the couple from behind a convenient shrub. The brown and green painted camouflage cardboard he's holding cracks as his hands clench even further. "At this rate, they'll get together, AND I'LL LOOK LIKE TSURUGI!"

Tenma and Wondeba slam their hands over his mouth, hissing for him to be quiet. They wonder if they should tell him that his irises are turning yellow...

"Fei-kun, your eyes are the same color as Tsurugi-kun's."

Never mind, Akane just did. The formerly green-eyed boy starts to scream, but Tenma and Wondeba shove his face into the bush, wincing, to muffle his cry.

* * *

"Lost Angel!"

The ball Tsurugi just stole from Kinako slams into the net, the dark colors around it dissipating.

Tsurugi smirks, turning to the girl. "I win."

"No faaaaaaair~" she complains, pouting cutely. Thanks to the sunscreen he always uses, his blush is not visible. "You really are good, Tsurugi!" She runs over to the goal and starts dribbling the ball over to the other side. "But I'm not going to lose to you!" He moves to stop her, but she skillfully avoids him and kicks the ball into the air, leaping after it. Recognizing the move, Tsurugi jumps, too, but she makes it there first. "MOCHIYAKI SCREWWWWWWWWW!" This time, the ball slams into the other net.

Akane and Wondeba restrain Tenma and Fei from going out onto the field.

Tsurugi smiles slightly, because he rarely ever grins. He and Kinako have become friendly once more. Step one completed. Now for step two-

He notices Kinako staring at him, a light blush dusting her face. Could it be-?! His heart soars with hope.

"Who's that guy?!" she breathes, and Tsurugi is suddenly aware that she's staring PAST him. Swiveling around to look, he sees a boy with green hair and eyes... "He's cool..." ...who bears a remarkable resemblance to Fei... or rather, Fei bears a remarkable resemblance to _him_.

"I'm back to normal!" Fei exclaims, looking immensely relieved.

"Tsurugi? What's wrong?" Kinako asks curiously.

"Nothing..." he mopes.

* * *

"There, there, Tsurugi-kun," Akane said/says/will say consolingly during the time jump home. "I'm sure you'll be happy next time."

Tsurugi just continued looking/continues to look/will continue looking downcast.

* * *

 **One year later**

"YAMANA-SENPAI I MET THIS GIRL IN SPACE AND SHE LIKES ME BUT SHE'S THE QUEEN OF A PLANET AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE EVERYONE WHAT DO I DO?!"

Back to square one.


End file.
